Plans for the summer

This is my latest 'baby' and very exciting it is too!!! I'm very lucky in that I live in quite a pleasant part of England and it's great fun to organise the occasional crochet get-together away from the smoky city. This year is particularly interesting as I'm planning events that are specific rather than general crochet projects. I'm keen to delve further into jewellery and felting so that's it for 2009. Sorted!!! It seems that every year there is more and more interest in developing skills and I'm always happy to encourage that!!! I know that many readers of chaincreative live far from South East England but anyone out there who might be interested then get in touch!

Friends fantastic

My wee blog is doing just what it says on the tin. It's chaincreative!!!!! Nearly every day now I take a peek at who has been visiting and increasingly I can see that there are new friends joining in and they, very kindly I must say, mention me on their blogs. As I said in an earlier post these are really good places to visit and get new ideas and when you go travelling you some times get tempted off into all sorts of new avenues.

Today, chaincreative was visited by a crocheter from London who I met in real time too when she came to my crochet classes. Now she's all grown-up and has a blog of her own, Angel Treats, and that certainly makes be twinkle with pride!!! It's a lovely, friendly place and there's crochet! Amigurumi to be precise.

Another visitor is Hook and Scumble, and there is crochet jewellery there too!

Amigurumi. Jewellery!!? These are my two choices for summer workshops here in Kent. Isn't that just synchronicity!

Tomorrow is interview day here at chaincreative. I wonder who it will be??

A day in country - July 2008

This weekend saw chaincreative's first 'A Day in the Country' of 2008. This was an opportunity for former students of mine from Loop to get together in lovely surroundings (my garden) to crochet, chat and swap experience of the yarns, patterns, glitches etc of the past few months. It was fabulous to see how complete beginners could become such amazingly skilled crocheters in a matter of such a short time! Everybody was able to bring finished and 'in progress' work to the table to compare and contrast and it was fascinating to see where everyone was going on this. In fact, each person had chosen a different path; interiors, fashion, embellishment, accessories and toys.

We started the day with...tea and coffee of course! Then on to some stitches that we rarely find in written patterns - loop stitch, spike stitch and cross stitch. That didn't give us too much trouble so, after lunch, it was on to a workshop on filet crochet. Not challenging in itself, it was interesting to scale down to the needle-thin hook and see just how skilled a professional fileter is in using such a small canvas to create their work. We had fun using the untraditional Coats Floretta in juicy pinks and yellows which really gave the style a trend zing. I thought a more extensive post on the subject is long overdue. Watch this blog!!!

The rest of the afternoon (there wasn't much of it left) was devoted to the basics of Tunisian crochet which is a personal favourite of mine, and very much to the rest of the group.

I'm glad that I can pass this skill on and get an enthusiastic response to it. I think it's really neglected and needs some updating of patterns and a wider profile.

Finally, after much happy talk about the lovely day, we displayed and admired the work that everyone had recently completed and said goodbye for now.

Name checks for all the lovely work.

Stacey - sad and sweet little bunny from Erika Knight 'Essential Crochet' Rowan Cotton Glace

Sarah - beautiful raspberry pink cardigan with ribbon from London Bead, Company. Yarn Rowan Cotton Glace

Kate - dress with crochet trim, designed and made by herself. You go, girl

Kim - Irish lace cushion cover in Sublime Cashmerino Silk DK from Crochet in No Time by Melody Griffiths

All yarns were from Loop London

Very clever crocheter

I'm so glad to see that former star-turns from the classes are still busily twirling their crochet hook. Alison has sent pics of the latest glittering success and I thought it worthy of posting. If anyone else has a particularly proud moment with their work, then send pictures post haste and we'll share them.